Are you looking for something special and unique to do for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? Here’s an idea: take her to church!

Men who don’t go to church or pray with their partners may be missing out on a chance to build stronger relationships. That’s one of the findings of a study released today by the Institute for Family Studies.

The Couple That Prays Together…

In recent years, some sociologists have suggested religion may negatively affect relationships. The usual theory is that religious strictures force couples into non-ideal relationship patterns, possibly pressuring them to marry too soon, or to have children before they’re ready.

This study, which analyzed data from the 2006 National Survey of Religion and Family Life, found churchgoing was mostly a positive for relationships, with one noteworthy exception. Sociologists Brad Wilcox and Nicholas Wolfinger found that couples who go to church and pray together are generally happier, and that churchgoing men tend to be in happy relationships. Interestingly, women who went to church without their boyfriend or husband were less likely to be happy in love.

Going to church with your partner does seem to be a good thing. Churchgoing couples were significantly more likely (11 percent) to report they were “very” or “extremely happy” in their relationships, as compared to non-attending couples. It’s especially good when couples have many friends at church. Unsurprisingly, church can be a good social outlet, and it’s all the better to share that with your spouse.

The news gets even better for couples who pray together regularly. By an eye-opening 17 percentage points, they were far likelier to report satisfaction with their relationships. After your Valentine’s church date, consider capping the night off with a few decades of the Rosary.